1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

2. Read and Prepare
- Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

Were you born in the late 1970s or early 1980s? Do you remember using rotary phones? You know, the large phones with a round dial for the numbers? If you made a mistake while dialing a rotary phone, you had to hang up and start over. Did you ever own an answering machine? How about VCRs? Do you remember dial-up internet? If you do, you might be a Xennial.

Xennials are people who are too old to feel like they are part of the Millennial generation, but too young for Generation-X. They are stuck in the middle. Xennials may have relished in many advances in technology and were quick to upgrade their phones. However, Xennials might be too young to understand the movie Reality Bites. This movie is a great recap of the thoughts and feelings of Generation-X.

Andy has some pretty strong ideas about the difference between Xennials and Millennials. Do you agree with him? Listen and find out!

Dialog

1. Listen and Read
- Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

2. Study
- Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Andy_H: Oh, OK. Let me give you a recap. So, a Xennial is an older Millennial. Essentially, they are people that are kind of Gen-Xers, but not really Millennials. They are in this weird, in-between grey area where, uh, I guess they used to use rotary phones and VCRs.

Marni: OK. I’m gonna stop you right there.

Andy_H: Hmm?

Marni: There is no way that people in this generation used rotary phones and VCRs. I mean, those are so old.

Andy_H: I mean, maybe they had, you know, one around from when Grandma just wouldn’t upgrade to a hand-held. But, no, this is a…I actually have a metric for how to decide whether you’re a Xennial or a Millennial.

Andy_H: Xennial! See, I think Pikachu was the coolest thing in the world.

Marni: Oh, my gosh.

Andy_H: You, clearly, didn’t have as good of a childhood. And that’s OK!

Marni: I had a great childhood! Just because I didn’t like Pikachu…

Andy_H: OK. But, see, Millennials, we relished in all kinds of technological revolutions. And I guess Xennials had a…just a different time. To be 100% honest, I think it’s kind of silly. It’s just putting people in more boxes.

The iTEP® test

Discussion

Andy asks Marni if she has seen the Xennials who are moving in next door. She isn’t sure what a Xennial is, so Andy gives her a recap. He tells her that Xennials are either old Millennials, or young Gen-Xers. They are stuck between the two generations. Xennials probably even used rotary phones.

Marni is skeptical. She says there is no way that people in her generation used rotary phones. Andy tells her he has another metric for figuring out the difference between a Xennial and a Millennial. He thinks if you relished Pokemon as a kid, then you are a Millennial. Marni and Andy both agree that the term Xennial is a bit silly. It’s just putting more labels on people.

What generation do you feel like you belong to? What are things that define your generation?